Tagging Teddy Bears - Labelling Potentially Lost Items

Problem
How do you ensure lost items are returned?

Answer
Firstly, Glasgow airport is tagging lost teddy bears., or rather teddy bear before they get lost. Twenty-five teddies or soft toys missing in just one month. So Paddington Bear was not the only one which got lost.

Secondly, they are publicising lost items.  If you photograph your child with your teddy, yourself carrying your camera, or standing beside your suitcase if it is later lost you can show the lost property office what to look for, fill out the lost property search accurately, and prove that any item, especially an expensive one, is really yours.

I put address stickers or labels on all loose items, luggage, umbrellas. I label coats and hats and gloves. A spare label for duty-free item is also handy. or link the handle of the bag or items bought with the handle or coat bag, so the items are linked and you don't go home with your coat leaving behind the bag.

Tag Your Family
Never mind lost teddies and umbrellas, my greatest anxiety is losing my family. I can lose a spouse or offspring in a supermarket.

Tagging The Elderly Who Have Alzheimer's
We also lost a late relative once. (Late in both senses of the word. She is now dead. When she was late for dinner we went to her home to find her. She had vanished. She was developing Alzheimer's. We later found her in a local hospital where she was telling staff how much she liked the hotel. (Apparently a fairly common comment, from people like her, I learned several years later. At the time we thought it was original and amusing.)  If we had tagged her earlier, we would have saved ourselves and the hospital time and stress and money.

Phone Finders and Car Locators
After tag my teddy and find my phone, we could have locate my car. Life is getting more complicated, but behind every problem there's a helpful answer running up to tap us on the shoulder.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-41336762 (The story about tagging teddies.)
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/1590929/glasgow-airport-take-care-of-my-bear-tag-scheme-kids-lost-teddies/
http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/nursery-world-blog/1106894/teddy-tagging
http://www.mommyimhere.com/teddy-tag-bluetooth-wearable-smart-child-locator-with-free-downloadable-app-for-iphone-and-android-mobile-devices-pink-color/

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Author and speaker. Please follow and share links to your favourite posts.

Why and how to label your photos

Problem
How do you keep track of your photos?


Aps for phones and storage systems are getting more canny. (I tried to type cannier, or cannyer, which is what I would say if I spoke to you, but neither word looked right.)

In emails, I save photos in three places. First, by who sent me the photo. Second a copy in a file called photos. Then onto my laptop in iphoto or a storage system.

In many phones you cannot label photos with names or places or subject matter. On a laptop or big screen it is easier.

However, the first essential is to label photos the day you take them. Use your holiday brochures to check places and correct spellings. At a conference or club use the agenda before you file it or bin it to note names.

That's really handy if somebody you hardly know asks you for a photo you took of them. Saves hours of searching.

Remember to label yourself and family with at least your first name and any clothes or hats or uniforms, city and country. For example, Anne in wedding dress; Anne by Tower Bridge in London, England; Anne in London, Canada; Jane by taxi in Paris, France; Susan by horse in Paris, Texas;  Anne in suit for cv; Peter with golf clubs; John on elephant; Simon speaking on stage at conference in South Africa.

This will save hours of time when somebody asks for a photo.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please save and share links to your favourite posts.